No. 2 Loyola Hosts Top-Ranked Maryland in Big Saturday Match

Loyola University Maryland opens the home portion of its 2013 men's lacrosse schedule on Saturday, February 23, when it hosts the University of Maryland at Ridley Athletic Complex in a rematch of the 2012 NCAA Championship Game.

The Greyhounds and Terrapins will faceoff at 1:30 p.m. in a game that follows the Loyola-Penn State University women's lacrosse game, which starts at 11:00 a.m.

On the TubeThe game will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network in the channel's first live college lacrosse game that was not part of a multi-team event. Mike Corey will call the play-by-play, while Mark Dixon will provide the analysis in the booth. Evan Washburn will be on the sidelines for additional commentary.

Series HistoryLoyola and Maryland will be meeting for the 22nd time in series history on Saturday with the Terrapins holding a 19-2 advantage in the previous 21 games.

Prior to last year's NCAA Championship Game, the teams had not faced each other since Maryland won a 19-8 decision on May 23, 1998, in the NCAA Semifinals at Rutgers University.

The 2013 contest will be the first time the teams have met in the regular season since Loyola scored its first victory in the series, 10-8, on March 19, 1989, in the title game of the Loyola/George Transfer Invitational. Prior to that game, Maryland had won the first 18 meetings.

Title Game Look BackLoyola and Maryland met at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on May 28, 2012, with the NCAA Championship on the line.

The Greyhounds jumped out to a 2-1 lead with 1:55 to go in the first quarter on an Eric Lusby goal, but the Terrapins rallied to score the next two, going up 3-2 on Kevin Cooper's tally off a Joe Cummings assist with 10:40 remaining in the first half.

Pat Byrnes tied the score 1:18 later, and Mike Sawyer gave the Greyhounds the lead for good with a low-to-low shot at 5:57, as Maryland would not score again the rest of the game.

Loyola's defense held Maryland scoreless for the final 40-minutes, 40-seconds of regulation despite facing 19 shots in the second half and 20 total during that span.

Eric Lusby was named the NCAA Championships' Most Outstanding Player after scoring four goals in the Championship game and a tournament record 17 in four games. Chris Layne led Loyola with three assists in the game, Davis Butts and Sawyer both had multi-point games for the Greyhounds with a goal and an assist apiece.

Jack Runkel made six saves in goal for the Greyhounds.

In the PollsLoyola opened the 2013 season ranked No. 1 in both the USILA Coaches and Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media polls, but after last weekend's narrow victory at Delaware, the Greyhounds fell to No. 2 in the coaches' version. They remain in the top spot in the media poll.

It was the first time in the polls' existences that the Greyhounds have been ranked No. 1 in the preseason.

Maryland entered the season ranked second in both polls, and the Terrapins took over the top slot in the coaches' poll this week.

Last Time OutMike Sawyer scored four goals to lead seven Loyola players who had at least two points in a 14-9 mid-week victory at Towson on Wednesday night.

Sawyer tallied the first goal of the game as four different Greyhounds scored in the first quarter while Loyola built a 6-1 advantage with 9:39 to play in the first half.

Kevin Ryan scored two of the Greyhounds' first six goals, both on extra-man opportunities, and Sawyer added his second of the game early in the second period. Towson, however, scored three unanswered to pull within two, 6-4, with 6:41 on the first-half clock, but Sawyer and Sean O'Sullivan answered for the Greyhounds to give them an 8-4 halftime cushion.